The club house opens up to centre court but gives views to the whole club. image © Daria Scagliola & Stijn Brakkee, courtesy of MVRDV

MVRDV completed its new sports field in the new district IJburg of Amsterdam- IJburg Tennis Club will attract attention from its surrounding and Amsterdam residents due to its exotic curvilinear form, dominant colour and expecially new public space settled upper roof of the building. The building is strategically located in a very important area that holds just 16,000 of these inhabitants. On its six artificial islands, 18,000 homes will be eventually be built for 45,000 residents. The building will be a new hot spot for many activities in the area because of its stylistic, elegant and inviting form- particularly, a new place for younger generation. 

Family and friends can watch the games from the 'Couch'. image © Daria Scagliola & Stijn Brakkee, courtesy of MVRDV

The tennis club, currently with 1100 members, has 10 clay courts and a tennis school. The zoning for the area allowed space for a tennis club, but a building could not be built quickly enough, and so the courts were made and a temporary facility installed.

The 'Couch' offers views over the 10 tennis courts in one direction, and IJburg in the other. image © Daria Scagliola & Stijn Brakkee, courtesy of MVRDV

MVRDV’s design will now fill this gap with an iconically functional building which provides both a viewing platform and a club overlooking the water. The aim of the club is to be as accessible as possible, meaning that it is open to the public, free of charge, 365 days a year. Not a private club, but a meeting place for young and old, where you can grab a coffee and a healthy snack, or meet with friends, or even just check your emails. MVRDV’s challenge was to create a building that works as a central gathering for the area. A living room for IJburg, where the building becomes a part of the community like piece of street furniture.

The 'Couch'comfortably seats up to 200 people. image © Daria Scagliola & Stijn Brakkee, courtesy of MVRDV

The club house is a long open volume with services on either side such as dressing rooms, a kitchen, storage and toilets. The main space is multifunctional, so it can be used for the club’s many events. The roof dips down towards the south side and is raised towards the north up to a height of seven metres, creating an informal tribune for the club.  The wide glass front to the north side allows extensive natural lighting and provides a view out over the waters of the IJ-lake.

Members playing on centre court. image © Daria Scagliola & Stijn Brakkee, courtesy of MVRDV

The club house was sprayed in a polymer giving it the same colour and texture as the courts. image © Daria Scagliola & Stijn Brakkee, courtesy of MVRDV

The club house is open to the public. image © Daria Scagliola & Stijn Brakkee, courtesy of MVRDV

Inside the club house, the concrete construction is clad with FSC-certified wood, with the outside fully sealed with an EPDM polymer hotspray in the same colour and texture as the clay tennis courts. The reduced glass surface to the south helps to cool the building.

Members of the public can enjoy refreshments in the club house. image © Daria Scagliola & Stijn Brakkee, courtesy of MVRDV

The thermal mass characteristics of the materialisation in concrete and wood are used to reach a high degree of energy efficiency. The building will be heated with district heating made efficient by a heat exchange system. In summer there will be natural ventilation, adding to the ambitious sustainability profile of the structure.

tennis club step diagram. image © MVRDV

tennis club elevation. image © MVRDV

tennis club location plan. image © MVRDV

tennis club plan. image © MVRDV

tennis club roof plan. image © MVRDV 

Project Facts

Name: The Couch

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Sketch Design: 2011

Preliminary Design: 2011

Definite Design: 2012

Tender Phase: 2013

Start execution: 2013

Date of completion: 2015

Role of MVRDV: Lead Architect

Client: TC IJburg, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Program: 322 m2 tennis club and viewing platform

Design: MVRDV, Rotterdam

Design team: Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries with Renske van der Stoep, Pepijn Bakker, Arjen Ketting, Sanne van der Burgh, Cristina,  Gonzalo and Rosa Rogina

Co-architect: Studio Bouwhaven, Barendrecht, Netherlands

Advisors / consultants             

Structural Engineer: ABT, Velp, Netherlands

Contractor: Romijn Bouw, Kockengen

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